Sol Phenduka Apologises After Backlash Over Remarks About Elizabeth Moselakgomo

South African podcaster and DJ Sol Phenduka has publicly apologised to South Africans and the family of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo following backlash over an insensitive joke made during an episode of Podcast and Chill.

The controversy erupted after a shortened clip from the episode circulated widely on social media. Moselakgomo, a runner who had been reported missing in Ekurhuleni, was later found dead in Kempton Park, prompting criticism of Phenduka’s remarks.

In an apology video, Phenduka explained that the episode had been recorded on Sunday, when Moselakgomo was still missing and her fate was not yet known.

He said the exchange began after Moselakgomo made a comment about his weight, leading to a back-and-forth in which he also made remarks about her podcast. During the exchange, he made what he described as an unfortunate pun.

“She was dissing me about my weight. It’s fine, it’s whatever, I’m used to it, and I was dissing her and her podcast at the run of numbers, and I made an unfortunate pun joke at the time,” Phenduka said.

He acknowledged that although those involved laughed at the time, the comment took on a different significance after Moselakgomo’s body was discovered.

“Yeah, we laughed, but it’s not funny anymore because the lady, when the story developed, her body was found in Kempton Park,” he said.

Phenduka said he wanted to apologise “profusely” to the South African public, viewers of Podcast and Chill and Moselakgomo’s family.

He acknowledged that making a joke connected to a missing person was inappropriate, particularly given the circumstances surrounding violence against women in South Africa.

“Deriving a joke, be it targeted at somebody else, about a situation around a missing person is distasteful because it is a traumatic situation, especially in the context of South Africa and the unfortunate high femicide that we have,” he said.

Phenduka also responded to criticism surrounding the clip being shared online. He pointed out that the footage circulating on social media had been edited and did not represent the entire conversation that took place during the episode.

“The clip that’s circulating, of course, it’s shortened. There’s parts of the clip where Underwoods sends her thoughts to the family and we were hoping that she does get found,” he said.

According to Phenduka, the full episode remains available on YouTube and contains comments from the presenters expressing hope that Moselakgomo would be found safely while she was still missing.

The controversy comes as the circumstances surrounding Moselakgomo’s death continue to draw public attention. Her disappearance had prompted concern among family members and members of the running community before her body was eventually discovered in Kempton Park.

Phenduka’s apology comes amid the wider public discussion over how missing-person cases and violence against women are discussed in South African media and online spaces.